Now, the Nationals will try again to find the manager who is just right for a roster that so far is good at two things – elevating expectations and getting managers fired.

Williams, 12 months after winning NL Manager of the Year in his rookie season, was fired Monday as Washington’s skipper and his entire coaching staff was canned, as well. This is the price when ownership spends the most it ever has on a roster in developing a “World Series or bust” mentality — and you pretty much bust on and off the field.

Williams lost control of his clubhouse and showed the same ability to adapt his strategy in real time as a cardboard cutout would have. Regardless of how much support Williams received from his friend, GM Mike Rizzo, there was no saving him. Not after this disappointing of a campaign.

But two questions arise as the Nationals try to figure out the right man for the job:

1. Is there a right man for the job, or is there some toxic quality within the National clubhouse that means the roster has to be altered, not just the manager?

2. Has the Nationals’ best chance to win in the short term already come and gone in the past four years – two under Johnson and two under Williams?

Cal Ripken Jr. with Ian Desmond in 2013AP

The Nationals are expected to lose four key free agents this offseason – Ian Desmond, Doug Fister, Denard Span and Jordan Zimmermann. Desmond and Zimmermann, in particular, had been part of the franchise bedrock. Desmond has been around so long, when he was drafted in 2004 this organization was still the Montreal Expos.

There is still star power to build around with likely NL MVP Bryce Harper plus a rotation 1-2 of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, who finished the season in such a strong style. But Strasburg is a free agent after next season. The Nationals have a strong base of youngsters either ready to play or nearly ready, but who knows if they are truly ready to be key performers on a contender, or if Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman have enough left to be important contributors over a long season.

Cal Ripken Jr. interviewed for the managerial position before Williams got the job and could do so again. But that would be another huge dice roll – that a regional icon like Ripken can actually manage. After the Williams debacle, Washington probably will favor someone who has managed in the majors before, such as Dusty Baker or Bud Black – though I wonder if Baker will be hurt the Nationals already went the older manager route with Johnson.

This is a desirable job. There is talent in place, with more on the way, and an ownership is willing to take the payroll into the $160 million range.

But there also is a sense there are problems that stretch well beyond the managerial office, problems that help explain how a team with such talent could miss the playoffs twice in the past four years and fail to win a round the two times it made the postseason.

The Nationals are changing the manager again. Do they need to change a lot more than that?